Overview
Many pressing climate and hazard challenges cannot be addressed within a single discipline, requiring integration across computational science, social science, and decision-making contexts. This project focuses on convergence science, integrating computational modeling with social science, engineering, and stakeholder perspectives to support real-world decision-making.
My role in these efforts often centers on translating advanced numerical models into forms that are meaningful and usable beyond disciplinary boundaries.
Interdependency diagram informed by interviews of stakeholders in New York City following Hurricane Sandy (in preparation).
Focus Areas
- Interdisciplinary climate and hazard research
- Decision-relevant interpretation of model outputs
- Integration of physical, social, and Indigenous knowledge systems
- Communication of uncertainty and risk
- Collaborative research design with stakeholders
Contributions
- Development of modeling frameworks informed by stakeholder needs
- Risk-focused interpretation of complex simulation outputs
- Collaborative leadership in interdisciplinary research teams
- Support for policy- and planning-relevant climate assessments
Many of these efforts build directly on technical work in Coastal Flooding & Storm Surge Modeling and Uncertainty Quantification & Risk, extending their impact through interdisciplinary collaboration. These efforts emphasize the role of computational science not only as a technical tool, but as a bridge between disciplines and decision contexts.
Representative Publications
References
2025
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Tapestries of Knowledge: Using Convergence Science to Weave Indigenous Science and Wisdom with other Scientific Approaches to Climate Challenges
Julie Maldonado, Heather Lazrus, Lilia Davis, Stephanie Herring, Carlos Martinez, and 19 more authors
Bulletin of the American Meteorlogical Society, Mar 2025
2024
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Climate Change Contributions to Increasing Compound Flooding Risk in New York City
Ali Sarhadi, Raphaël Rousseau-Rizzi, Kyle Mandli, Jeffrey Neal, Michael P Wiper, and 2 more authors
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Mar 2024
Abstract Efforts to meaningfully quantify the changes in coastal compound surge- and rainfall-driven flooding hazard associated with tropical cyclones (TCs) and extratropical cyclones (ETCs) in a warming climate have increased in recent years. Despite substantial progress, however, obtaining actionable details such as the spatially and temporally varying distribution and proximal causes of changing flooding hazard in cities remains a persistent challenge. Here, for the first time, physics-based hydrodynamic flood models driven by rainfall and storm surge simultaneously are used to estimate the magnitude and frequency of compound flooding events. We apply this to the particular case of New York City. We find that sea level rise (SLR) alone will increase the TC and ETC compound flooding hazard more significantly than changes in storm climatology as the climate warms. We also project that the probability of destructive Sandy-like compound flooding will increase by up to 5 times by the end of the century. Our results have strong implications for climate change adaptation in coastal communities.
2022
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Moving from interdisciplinary to convergent research across geoscience and social sciences: challenges and strategies
Donovan Finn, Kyle Mandli, Anamaria Bukvic, Christopher A Davis, Rebecca Haacker, and 6 more authors
Environmental Research Letters, Mar 2022
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Advancing Interdisciplinary and Convergent Science for Communities: Lessons Learned through the NCAR Early-Career Faculty Innovator Program
Anamaria Bukvic, Kyle Mandli, Donovan Finn, Talea Mayo, Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, and 8 more authors
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Mar 2022
Abstract The authors introduce the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Early-Career Faculty Innovator Program and present lessons learned about advancing interdisciplinary and convergent science with and for society. The Innovator Program brings together faculty and students from the social sciences with NCAR researchers to conduct interdisciplinary and convergent research on problems motivated by societal challenges in the face of climate change and environmental hazards. This article discusses aspects of program structure and the research being conducted. The article also emphasizes the challenges and successes of the research collaborations within the Innovator Program, along with lessons learned about engaging in highly interdisciplinary, potentially convergent work, particularly from the early-career perspective. Many projects involve faculty PIs from racially, ethnically, or otherwise minoritized groups, and minority serving institutions (MSIs), or those who engage with marginalized communities. Hence, the Innovator Program is contributing to the development of a growing research community pursuing science with and for society that also broadens participation in research related to the atmospheric sciences.
2021
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A methodological framework for determining an optimal coastal protection strategy against storm surges and sea level rise
Yuki Miura, Huda Qureshi, Chanyang Ryoo, Philip C. Dinenis, Jiao Li, and
5 more authors Natural Hazards, Mar 2021
Interdependent critical infrastructures in coastal regions, including transportation, electrical grid, and emergency services, are continually threatened by storm-induced flooding. This has been demonstrated a number of times, most recently by hurricanes such as Harvey and Maria, as well as Sandy and Katrina. The need to protect these infrastructures with robust protection mechanisms is critical for our continued existence along the world’s coastlines. Planning these protections is non-trivial given the rare-event nature of strong storms and climate change manifested through sea level rise. This article proposes a framework for a methodology that combines multiple computational models, stakeholder interviews, and optimization to find an optimal protective strategy over time for critical coastal infrastructure while being constrained by budgetary considerations.
